


trying to find an island in the flood

by diphylleias



Category: I.O.I (Band), Produce 101 (TV), Weki Meki (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Friends to Lovers, bc pd101 was so angsty, but dw it gets less heavy, some angsty stuff in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 02:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9102232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diphylleias/pseuds/diphylleias
Summary: It is not the first time Yoojung has climbed into Doyeon’s bed, but it feels different, when Yoojung sticks her feet under the warmth of the blankets and Doyeon’s arms wrap around her almost instantly.“Sometimes,” Doyeon begins, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind Yoojung’s ear, “I feel like I’ve already met my soulmate. But other times, I’m not sure, you know?” Something twists uncomfortably in Yoojung’s stomach and she swallows.





	

Produce 101 is difficult. New places are difficult. New people are difficult. _Being away from Doyeon-_

Yoojung hugs her knees in tighter as she feels the tears well up again. She leans back into the wall and brings a sleeve up to wipe her eyes. Her bright green sweater stares back at her, mocking her. _You were put in the D group. The D group! But Doyeon is in B. She’s not here for you anymore. She’s better than you._

 _Shut up,_ Yoojung thinks bitterly. It must have shown on her face because a few of the other girls throw her worried glances. She tries to crack a smile, but her lips end up trembling and her hands shake.

“Hey,” A girl whose name Yoojung never learned squats down next to her and looks into her eyes. “Are you alright?” Yoojung’s vision is unfocused but she distantly thinks the girl is very pretty. Her bright eyes are clouded with concern.

“I, um,” Yoojung’s voice cracks. She buries her head in her arms and doesn’t speak. She can’t speak. After a while, she hears the girl stand up and walk away.

Choi Yoojung is voted _most likely to drop a level_ by the D group trainees.

 

+

 

 

“Was the training hard for you?” The interviewer asks. Yoojung looks at the camera and thinks of the heaviness in her heart. Thinks of the girl who tried to talk to her. Thinks about the Fantagio trainees. Thinks of Doyeon.

She nods and tries to smile, but the tears begin to her fall and she ducks her head.

 

 

+

 

 

Yoojung watches the episode when it airs. She forces herself to watch. She sees herself, curled up against the wall while the others talk. Sees herself struggling. Her hands are shaking as she tries to end the episode but a familiar face stops her.

 _“_ Yoojung doesn’t tell anyone when she is having a hard time,” the girl says thickly. Doyeon is still beautiful when she is crying and Yoojung’s heart aches. She turns the TV off and closes her eyes, remembering that same crying face from two years ago.

“ _Yoojung, you have to stop doing this. You can’t- You can’t keep everything to yourself. I’m here for you okay? I’ll always, always be here for you.”_

 

 

+

 

 

When Yoojung is moved up to the A group, she tries not to hope.

When she enters the room and sees Doyeon sitting there, her heart is in her throat.  

Later, Doyeon pulls her outside and away from the cameras. Before Yoojung can open her mouth, Doyeon’s arms are around her and Yoojung realizes how much she missed this. How much she missed her.

“It’s okay now, everything is okay now.” Doyeon says, murmuring into Yoojung’s hair. “We’ll be okay.”

The _I missed you_ is unspoken but Yoojung clings harder and sobs.

 

 

+

 

 

“Kim Doyeon!”

Yoojung almost collapses as her vision swims. Doyeon is debuting. She made it. Months of hard work have paid off.

Doyeon is crying too, but before she walks to the front of the stage to give her speech, she wraps her arms around Yoojung and pulls her in close. Yoojung hears the hundreds of cameras go off but she hugs back and for a moment, only the two of them exist in the world before Doyeon pulls away and walks to take the microphone.

Yoojung turns her head slightly and suddenly catches Chungha giving her an unreadable look. She swallows hard before turning her eyes back to Doyeon. Her heartbeat is deafening.

 

 

+

 

 

“Okay,” Nayoung says quietly but firmly, looking around at the various suitcases and bags spread out on the floor “How are going to determine the rooming situation?”

“If it’s okay, can I stay with Sejeong?” Mina asks. “Same company and all…” She trails off but everyone understands. Sejeong shoots her a smile.  

“Can I stay with Doyeon too?” Yoojung pipes up, grabbing Doyeon’s hand. Doyeon grins and Yoojung feels fuzzy.

“Of course,” Nayoung replies, smiling. The rest of the rooming plan goes smoothly and by the end, everyone is tired but happy.

 

 

+

 

 

Life is different, with the weight of competition off her shoulders and with ten other girls who all share the same dream. For one, all of them are caught up in the whirlwind of preparations for their debut. There is barely time to rest, but even so, all of them manage to cram into one member’s room every night, talking into the early hours of the morning about fears, hopes, and anything in between.

And Yoojung, she is long past her difficulty of opening up. She has never felt more at home than where she is now, lying in bed at 3 a.m. listening to the lulls of conversation from the other girls. Her eyelids begin to droop.

“Tired?” Comes a soft whisper beside her. Yoojung turns her head lazily and looks at Doyeon’s blurry outline. She nods slowly, staring at the way Doyeon’s mouth stretches into a gentle smile. “Go to sleep,” she hears, as Doyeon’s fingers find their way into her hair.

Yoojung falls asleep and dreams of the soft curl of Doyeon’s lips.

 

 

+

 

 

Surprisingly, Sejeong is the one who first corners her in the bathroom.

“You’re in love with Doyeon, aren’t you?” Yoojung almost chokes around her toothbrush.

“Wh-” She tries, but toothpaste is dribbling down her shirt and she thinks Sejeong can hear the pounding of her heart. Sejeong’s gleeful smile softens and she grabs a tissue to dab gently at Yoojung’s shirt.

“It’s alright, you know?” Sejeong’s voice is quieter than Yoojung has ever heard it, but sincere all the same. “It’s alright to be in love with her.” Yoojung swallows.

“I’m not in love with her,” She says weakly, but even she cannot convince herself. Sejeong raises an eyebrow at her and turns to check her hair in the mirror.

“Don’t try to deny it, Yoojung-ah. You have to find the courage to tell her. If you keep trying to suppress those feelings…” Sejeong turns back to look at her, and suddenly she looks years older, with a trace of nostalgia in her eyes. “Things won’t end up well.”

“Unnie-“

“Besides,” Sejeong cuts in, the gleeful smile back on her face. “I’ve seen the way Doyeon looks at you.” And with that, she almost skips out of the bathroom, leaving Yoojung with an unanswered question sitting on her tongue.

Yoojung turns slowly to face the mirror and finds her pink-faced reflection staring back at her. There is still a trace of toothpaste left on her shirt.

 

 

+

 

 

Chungha unscrews the cap of her water bottle and tips it up, her face shining with sweat under the bright light of the practice room. Half of the members are laying on the floor asleep, but Yoojung still finds energy to trudge over to where Chungha is sitting, along with Doyeon, Sejeong, and Nayoung. Her sluggish mind picks up words tumbling out of Sejeong’s mouth, directed at Chungha.

“Back when we were in Produce 101, you said you hadn’t had your first kiss yet, right?” Sejeong whispers, almost conspiratorially. “Was that really true?” Yoojung’s sleepy eyes shift to the girl in question. She _is_ slightly curious about the answer, she will admit.

“Well…” Chungha’s eyes are sparkling but her voice is hesitant. “I lied.” Sejeong’s mouth splits into a grin, and Yoojung finds herself leaning in with the others to find out more.

“Why did you lie about it though?” Nayoung asks, looking both curious and concerned. Chungha purses her lip for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“My first kiss… it was with a girl.” An odd silence settles over the five girls and Yoojung finds herself suddenly much more awake. Unconsciously, her eyes flit to look at Doyeon.

Yoojung almost jumps, because Doyeon is staring right back at her. There is something in her gaze that is so heavy Yoojung feels her face heat up and her throat start to dry.  

“Actually,” Sejeong speaks up, clearing her throat and breaking the moment. “My first kiss was with a girl too.” Chungha half-squeals and the remaining tension in the air is lost. Nayoung smiles quietly at the both of them, and Yoojung can hear it in the way her eyes soften: _we accept you._

 

 

+

 

 

“Do you think soulmates exist?” Yoojung wonders aloud, her groggy voice cutting into the silence of the room. She hears Doyeon shift in her bed.

“Sometimes,” Doyeon says cryptically, voice slightly muffled by her blankets. Yoojung wrinkles her nose in confusion.

“What does that even mean? Sometimes?” Doyeon laughs slowly and sleepily from below her and Yoojung feels like her heart is going to burst.  

“Come here,” Doyeon says, and Yoojung sees her hand stick out of the blankets and motion towards her bed. A part of Yoojung’s brain tells her that this is really, really not a good idea, but Yoojung’s feet are already climbing the ladder down to the floor.

It is not the first time Yoojung has climbed into Doyeon’s bed, but it feels different, when Yoojung sticks her feet under the warmth of the blankets and Doyeon’s arms wrap around her almost instantly.

“Sometimes,” Doyeon begins, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind Yoojung’s ear, “I feel like I’ve already met my soulmate. But other times, I’m not sure, you know?” Something twists uncomfortably in Yoojung’s stomach and she swallows.

“Wh-who? Who do you think it is, I mean,” She manages to mumble out. Doyeon scoots down on the bed so Yoojung is staring into her eyes.

“Well,” Doyeon draws out, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards, “There’s this girl.” Yoojung swallows again. “She’s cute, she’s sweet, and she’s been my best friend for a long time.”

“Wha-” Yoojung stutters out. Doyeon presses a finger to her lips and inches closer.

“I’ve been through a lot with this girl; I’ve held her while she cried, I’ve watched her shine and grow, and sometimes,” Doyeon pauses. “Sometimes I think you’re my soulmate.”

Yoojung can see the pink dusting Doyeon’s cheeks, but her whole face feels like it is on fire.

“Oh my god,” Yoojung mumbles, pulling the blanket up to cover her face. Doyeon stops her before she can, pulling Yoojung in and pressing their lips together gently. When she pulls away, she looks at Yoojung’s face and giggles.

“Your face is so red,” she teases, eyes shining in the dim room.

“Shut up," Yoojung lets out breathily. "I think you’re my soulmate too,” she says, before she leans in for another kiss.  

 

 

+

 

 

Jieqiong practically shrieks when she walks in on the two of them exchanging lazy kisses in their room, and Yoojung kind of wants to disappear.

“I called it!” Jieqiong is yelling as she runs to tell the others. All at once, Yoojung hears Somi’s scream among others, and she buries her face into Doyeon’s neck, face flush. Doyeon laughs and presses her lips to Yoojung’s hair, and despite the chaos surrounding them, Yoojung finally feels at peace.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> basically a lot of stuff is canon compliant bc im emo... feedback is v much appreciated :-)
> 
> title taken from [here](https://open.spotify.com/track/1sYSP7gKa5kdKIfhANfori) ♡


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